"Boy, why haven’t you kowtowed and begged to be taken as a disciple already?"
Ning Shangfeng was so frightened by the aura emanating from Yang Yuemin that he anxiously urged Lin Chen to act.
The last time in the Great Flame Dynasty, an elegant man from a major family wanted to woo Yang Yuemin. She stated that if he could withstand ten of her moves, she would give him a chance. As a result, it was said that the man had to lie in bed for half a year before he could walk again, and after that, he kept popping elixirs like candy, while his cultivation suffered a great decline.
Yang Yuemin had another nickname within the Jade Cauldron Sect, known as the Red-faced Fairy. Although she was the youngest Peak Master in the sect, her power was formidable, and her strikes were especially brutal, capable of incapacitating someone for half a year at a time.
It wasn’t just Yang Yuemin; everyone from Jade Bird Peak was not to be trifled with—each one was a force to be reckoned with.
Naturally, Ning Shangfeng did not wish to end up lying in bed for half a year. He looked at Lin Chen, wishing he could make Lin Chen knock his head against the ground.
At this moment, Lin Chen was completely baffled by the situation unfolding between Ning Shangfeng and the lady in red. Wasn’t this against the rules? And now, he was being rushed to take her as his master.
Lin Chen looked at the lady in red. This master sure was easy on the eyes and seemed only a few years older than him.
However, the strength that the lady in red had just displayed was incredibly formidable. Walking on air was something only those above the Heaven-reaching Realm could achieve.
No matter what, as long as he could join the Jade Cauldron Sect, Lin Chen didn’t mind taking her as his master. He wasn’t like those young masters from the capital city who were extremely familiar with the various Peak Masters of the Jade Cauldron Sect.
"Master above, please accept your disciple Lin Chen’s bow."
So Lin Chen looked at the lady in red and knelt directly, respectfully kowtowing three times.
In the Mysterious Heaven World, the bond between master and disciple is akin to family. Now that Lin Chen had taken her as his master, he must respect Yang Yuemin in the future.
But considering Yang Yuemin’s appearance and figure, Lin Chen couldn’t help thinking he might be tempted to become a rebellious disciple one day.
It wasn’t until Lin Chen finished his third kowtow that the beautiful woman nodded in satisfaction. She then lightly lifted her hand, and a gentle force lifted Lin Chen up.
A token flew out from the woman’s hand towards Lin Chen, who reached out to catch it. He saw it was a cyan jade token, carved with a small bird, representing Jade Bird Peak.
Beyond serving as a symbol of identity, the jade token also seemed to contain a peculiar array power, suggesting it wasn’t something that could easily be forged.
"Once you arrive at the Jade Cauldron Sect, you don’t need to participate in any of those boring tests. Just take this jade pendant and go directly to the Ninth Peak, Jade Bird Peak. Someone will be there to meet you," she said.
"With your superior aptitude, Jade Bird Peak will certainly not bury your talents. As long as you demonstrate tremendous talent, all the cultivation resources you need will be provided to you continuously. I look forward to your growth," Yang Yuemin said, not with mere pleasantries but with a sincere promise to Lin Chen.
The vast Jade Cauldron Sect has never shied away from rewarding disciples with exceptional talents.
After all, the might of the Sect grows with the strength of its disciples.
Having spoken to Lin Chen, the lady in red leapt into the air and left to patrol the outskirts of Desolate Sky City, looking for any demon cultivators from the Black Cloud Sect that might be hiding nearby.
Watching the decisive manner in which the beautiful woman worked, Lin Chen couldn’t help feeling that his master seemed a bit unreliable.
Fortunately, Lin Chen had the cultivation techniques from the Primordial Myriad Transformation Cauldron and its many secrets, so he didn’t really need someone else to teach him anything.
All he needed was an environment and resources, and the Jade Cauldron Sect, being one of the major sects within the Great Flame Dynasty, was an excellent place for that.
"Besides Lin Chen, there are nine other spots for going to the Jade Cauldron Sect. I will now rank you according to your earlier tests. The top ten will be able to head to the Jade Cauldron Sect," Ning Shangfeng announced.
"First place, Lin Chen."
"Second place, Zhao Huo’er."
"Third place, Mu Qingxuan."
After Yang Yuemin left, Ning Shangfeng selected this year’s top ten testers.
Li Chu and Mu Qingxue were naturally excluded, and among the ten spots, nine were taken by members of the Five Great Families, with only one from a minor family.
Thus it is evident that on the path of cultivation, besides one’s own talent, having a powerful family, cultivation techniques, and resources are also indispensable.
Ning Shangfeng quickly arranged the rankings according to the test results.
Once the rankings were announced, some were overjoyed, and some were disheartened.
"You can all go back and pack today, and set off after sunrise tomorrow. Latecomers will not be waited for." Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
Having said that, Ning Shangfeng entered the Jade Cauldron Sect’s residence in Desolate Sky City.
Cultivators are different from ordinary people; they can rejuvenate themselves by meditating at night, so they are fully energized each morning. The morning is the start of a day; spiritual energy circulates and is most concentrated just before sunrise.
Therefore, Ning Shangfeng’s instruction for everyone to gather before sunrise was also a small test—martial artists unable to rise early in the morning likely lack some natural aptitude.
Upon hearing this, everyone responded in unison and returned to their families.
Those who were successfully selected by the Jade Cauldron Sect would certainly have to hold a grand feast to celebrate when they returned.
Going to the Jade Cauldron Sect for cultivation and entering deep into the mountains meant that ordinarily, one couldn’t leave the mountain unless they had achieved some success in their cultivation and received permission from the sect. So this departure could well be for many days to come.
Lin Chen also returned to the Lin Family with Lin Xiao and the others. Now that Lin Chen had taken a mentor, and it was none other than an exceptional Peak Master of the Jade Cauldron Sect, the Lin Family’s attitude towards him had done a complete turnabout.
With Lin Chen’s admission into the Jade Cauldron Sect, the Lin Family’s status in Desolate Sky City had risen dramatically, and no one dared to offend them lightly anymore.
However, for the Li and Mu Families among the Five Great Families, things were not so easy.
Li Chu and Li Dashan’s collusion with the Black Cloud Sect had made them pariahs, and having followed Ximen Cailong away, the Li Family would probably begin to fade from Desolate Sky City from today onwards.
As for the Mu Family, since Mu Qingxue had conspired with Li Chu, they were bound to suffer by association, and their days would not be easy either.
But compared to the Li Family, the Mu Family was unlikely to become destitute in Desolate Sky City, because although Mu Qingxue was no longer there, Mu Qingxuan had also become a disciple of the Jade Cauldron Sect.
Back at the Lin Family, the elders and Lin Chen’s uncles set up banquets to celebrate for Lin Chen.
Yet Lin Chen simply went through the motions before returning to his room to see Xiaoyu.
For Lin Chen, with his father absent, the only people he cared about in the Lin Family were his personal maid Xiaoyu and the Great Elder who had always helped him.
Had he not passed the Jade Cauldron Sect’s test today, and become a disciple of the sect, his uncles would still view him as useless, and there would be no celebration at all.